Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sanaa

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,040 in Sanaa, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Sanaa despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sanaa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Sanaa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,040 in Sanaa.

Cebu $934
Sanaa $1,040

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,608 in Sanaa.

Cebu $1,415
Sanaa $1,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,175 in Sanaa.

Cebu $1,896
Sanaa $2,175

Living in Cebu costs roughly 10% less than in Sanaa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Sanaa 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$6.46 YER 1,524

-53.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$25.31 YER 5,969

-7.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$9.75 YER 2,300

-58.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 YER 462

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 YER 611

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$3.82 YER 900

-34.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.17 YER 277

31.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.60 YER 141

-18.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.98 YER 468

-1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.64 YER 387

-12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.09 YER 492

-51.20%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.57 YER 842

-42.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$17.52 YER 4,131

-44.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$8.41 YER 1,984

-45.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$19.10 YER 4,504

-59.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.40 YER 802

-2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.05 YER 249

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.21 YER 521

6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$1.67 YER 393

-7.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.51 YER 357

56.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.38 YER 326

44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.20 YER 284

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.68 YER 160

-1.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.48 YER 584

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 YER 423

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 YER 602

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$5.66 YER 1,336

-47.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.43 YER 102

-41.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$86.3 YER 20.4K

-85.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$4.19 YER 988

-82.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.10 YER 494

-90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$7.22 YER 1,704

-40.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$2.06 YER 486

-35.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$16.9K YER 4.0M

28.82%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.6K YER 8.2M

-43.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$121 ₱7,563

$109 YER 25.6K

10.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.45 ₱907

$23.35 YER 5,506

-38.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$102 YER 24.0K

-72.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$67.1 YER 15.8K

-51.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$16.03 YER 3,779

-60.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$5.97 YER 1,407

-8.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$273 ₱17.1K

$118 YER 27.7K

132.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$2,130 YER 502.3K

282.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$42.48 YER 10.0K

16.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$121 YER 28.5K

-79.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$47.63 YER 11.2K

60.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$40.69 YER 9,594

45.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$222 YER 52.4K

127.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$94.7 YER 22.3K

226.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$408 YER 96.2K

157.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$276 YER 65.0K

124.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$4,240 YER 999.9K

-31.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$825 YER 194.6K

126.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$197 YER 46.4K

73.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.25

-36.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Sanaa

$95 9.2% 69.4% $215

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Sanaa

$272 26.4% 29.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Sanaa

$234 22.7% 43.1% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Sanaa

$113 11% 19.6% $19

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sanaa

$134 13% 51.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Sanaa

$79 7.7% 81.3% $35

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Sanaa

$103 10% 565% $87

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $222 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $272 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

10:09 10:09 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,527,861 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 264 YER (1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Sanaa 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sanaa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cebu vs Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $222 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,040 in Sanaa – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 582% less than in Sanaa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sanaa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sanaa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Sanaa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.